Electric switch



Feb. 1941- H. VAN VALKENBURG 3 7 ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Juhe s, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LIT 0 INVENTOR E. .11.. 175777720)? 14v: l all'enizzr y,

BY w JM ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1941. L VAN URG 2,231,974

ELECTRIC/ swx'rcn Filed June a, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E E M004 42704 J E\ l INVENTOR Herman X. Mvz/vllelzid a ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES 2,231,974 ELECTRIC SWITCH Hermon L. Van Vaikenb urg, Wanwatosa, Wls., as-

sig'nor to Square B Company, Detroit, Mich., a

Michigan Application'June s, ms, Serial No. 212,409

1 Claims. (01. zoo-s1) This invention relates to an electric circuit controlling device,'and more particularly to an electromagnetically operated electric switch of the normally closed type in which energization of 5 the operating coil for the electromagnet eiiects the opening of the cooperating contacts of the switch.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for such an electric switch, having relatively rugged and dependable parts and of simple and economical manu iacture.

Other objects and features of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art 15 from the following specification and the appended drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the switch according to the present invention.

20 Figure 2 is a front elevational view oi the 3 switch.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view on the line III-HI of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view 25 of the line IV-IV of the Figure 2.

Upon a supporting panel plate I is mounted an upper terminal 2 having connected thereto one end of a blow-out coil 8, the other end of which is secured to a stationary contact post 6 upon which is adjustably mounted a contact holder I, having secured thereto a stationary contact l. Rigidly secured to the contact holder I is an are born I which also serves as a mechanical support for aninsulating arc chute about the cooperat 35 ing contacts. Within the blow-out coil I is a cylindrical core Ihaving attached to its opposite ends a pair of horizontally disposed side plates Ii which act as pole pieces for the blow-out flux and are disposed, as shown, at the opposite sides 0 of the arc chute and cooperating contacts, and also serve as additional mechanical supports for the arc chute. The blow-out assembly is rigidly supported upon the panel by means of the plates i2 rigidly secured to the contact post I.

Rigidly secured to the panel I is a field magnet assembly formed by the L-shaped piece I! and cylindrical core H. Cooperating with the field magnet to complete the magnetic circuit is a movable armature II. To the upper surface of 50 the L-shaped field magnet member I! are attached a pair of spaced supports it having rigidly secured thereto a U-shaped bracket ii. To the movable armature II is rigidly secured a generally Z-shaped piece ll havingrigidly secured,

65 therein a U-shaped member ll provided with aligned slots in which are disposed a bearing element 2 i. Within the U-shaped element II is disposed a movable contact finger 22 having a slot therein receiving the bearing element 2| to eifect we lvotal mounting for the finger with respect to position of the armature the element II. The upper end of the element It is provided with an offset portion 23 which forms an abutment with which an adjustable stop 24 on thefinger 22 cooperates to regulate the contact followup, or the armature movement nec- 5 essary to eflect disengagement of the movable contact. At the upper end of the contact finger 22 is mounted a movable contact 25 as by means of a stud '28, a boxlike housing 21 being disposed about the stud head to form an arc horn adjacent v the movable contact. A compression spring 28 is disposed within the U-shaped member i1 and biases the contact finger 22 toward the engaged position of the contacts 25 and 26 and the armature ii and element It to their de-energized positions which correspond to the contacts engaged position in the normally closed contactor construction herein illustrated. The upper end of the L-shaped armature member ii! is provided with a knife edge indicated somewhat generally at 2! which is received within the seat formed by the forward end of the L-shaped field magnet members i 2 and the arms it connected thereto, to provide the pivotal bearing for the movable elements of the contactor. Upon the front face of the cylindrical stationary core piece It is mounted a a structure-including an auxiliary magnetic portion 2i and a pair of spaced magnetic stops 32. This structure is mounted on the pole face by a stud 21 and the armature II has an opening 36 30 therethrough providing clearance for the head of the stud 21. A flexible lead 23 is connected to the contact finger 22 of a stud 34 and has its opposite end connected to a terminal (not shown) which is mounted upon the panel i. About the 35 cylindrical stationary field magnet core It is disposed an Operating coil 35 for effecting the switching operation of the contactor part.

The operation of the switch or contactor, according to the present invention, will be readily apparent. The parts as shown in Figure 1 are in the contacts engaged position with the coil 35 deenergized and the parts moved to the closed circuit position by means of the compression spring 22. The extreme position of the armature i5 and the portion i8 rigid therewith are determined by the engagement of the lower portion of the armatune II with the stops 32. As the contacts 25 and i will be adjusted to engage before this limiting ment 2! will have moved toward the panel i away from adjacent stops 24 on the finger 22 which, in this movement, will have pivoted about the bearing element 2i. By energization of the coil 35 a flux will be produced which will tend to attract 55 the armature i! into engagement with the pole face on the core ii. The auxiliary magnetic member I projects forwardly from the pole face into its position adjacent the end of armature ii in order to increase the initial flux set up by the so is reached, the abutcoil and thus to increase the initial force tending to effect movement of the armature into engagement with the pole face. The movement of the armature effects movement of the element l8 5 relative to the contact 28 which will not be separated from its cooperating contact 8 until the abutment 23 engages the adjustable stop 2|, after which the contact and armature will move together as a unit to the disengaged position of the contacts in which the armature I! is in engagement with the pole face on the core l4. De-energization of the operating coil 36 will release the armature l5 and the parts will againlm'ove into the position shown in Figure 1. As the contacts 25 and 6 separate under load, an arc will ordinarily be formed and the field set up between pole pieces H by means of blow-out coil 3 will exert a force tending to blow this are upwardly until it is extinguished, the are being confined within the chute 0.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In an electric switch, a stationary contact, a movable contact cooperating with said stationary contact to perform the switching operation, a contact finger upon which said movablecontact is mounted, an operating lever upon which said contact finger is pivotally mounted, a stationary U-shaped bracket disposed with its plane substantially at right angles to said contact finger, with the base of the U opposite the front face of the finger, and a compression spring disposed between the base of said U and the front face of the finger and biasing said finger and operating lever to the position where the contacts are engaged, said compression spring maintaining the pressure between said co-operating contacts as well as moving the contact finger and the lever on which it is mounted to the contacts engaged position.

2. In an electric switch, stationary contact, a movable contact cooperating with said stationary contact to perform the switching operation, a I contact finger carrying said movable contact, an

operating lever pivoted to a fixed part and having said contact finger pivotally mounted thereon, and a compression spring interposed between a'fixed part and said contact finger and biasing 56 the contact carrying end of the finger toward said operating lever and said operating lever about its pivot, said spring effecting movement of said lever to an extreme operating position at which the contact carrying end of the finger is 60 moved away from the adjacent portion of the lever by the engagement of the movable contact with the stationary contact, whereby said spring serves to maintain the pressure between said stationary and movable contacts in their engaged 66 position.

' 3. An electric switch comprising a stationary magnet structure, an armature member pivoted at one point on said stationary magnet structure and having another portion thereof at- 7 tractable into engagement with the stationary magnet structure, an arm rigidly secured to said member and projecting above said stationary magnet structure, a contact finger pivoted on saidarm,apairofspacedbracketsrigidiysecured to said stationary magnet structure at opposite sides of said contact finger, a U-shaped member mounted on said brackets with its plane substantially normal to the contact finger, and a compression spring interposed between the base of said U-shaped member and said contact finger and biasing the movable contact toward its engaged position, and said armature and arm to their extreme de-energized position.

4. Electromagnetic operating means for an electric switch comprising an angle shaped magnetic member having one leg secured against a supporting surface with its other leg extending forwardly thereof, a core element secured to the forward face of the said first leg of said angle member and extending forwardly parallel to said second leg, an energizing coil disposed about said core and beneath said second leg, a pair of spaced angle brackets having horizontal legs secured to the top surface of said second leg of said magnetic member and their second legs extending vertically at right angles thereto, the forward surface of said second leg of said magnetic mem her and the bottom surfaces of said angle brackets forming a knife edge seat, an armature having a knife edge disposed in said seat, an arm on said armature extending over said second leg of said magnetic member and preventing downward movement of the armature, a contact finger mounted on said armature arm, a supporting bracket secured to said second mentioned angle brackets, and spring means interposed between said bracket and said contact finger maintaining said knife edge in its seat and biasing the armature-to its de-energized position.

5. In an electric switch, an actuating arm, a U-shaped guide member mounted on said arm, a fulcrum removabLv received in slots in opposite side walls of said U-shaped member, a contact finger disposed between the legs of said U-shaped member and guided thereby and having a slot receiving the fulcrum pin to provide a pivotal mounting for the contact finger, a stationary bracket, and a compression spring disposed between said bracket and said finger and biasing said finger to maintain its pivotal mounting on said operating arm and said finger and operating arm to an extreme operating position.

6. In an electric switch, an operating member having a fulcrum and seat pivot initially relatively removable in substantially one direction, a contact finger mounted on said member and havinga fulcrum and seat pivot initially relatively movable in one direction, and a single spring means biasing said contact finger and member to one extreme operating position and to maintain said fulcrum and seat pivots against their initial displacements.

7. An electric switch comprising stationary and movable magnetic portions, said magnetic portion having a. fulcrum and seat moimting and initially removable in substantially only a forward direction, a contact finger mounted on said armature by a fulcrum and seat pivot initially relatively movable in substantially only a forward direction. a stationary bracket extending forwardly of said contact finger, and a compresion spring disposed between said stationary bracket and said contact finger andbiasing said finger and armature to one extreme operating position and said fulcrums into their seats.

K HIRMON L. ,VAN VALKENBURG. 

